8.2Great
Nicky Romero Kickstart 2 by Cableguys is a sidechain ducking plugin that ducks a track's volume on each kick to clear space for bass.
Plugin comparison
Kickstart 2 vs Cableguys TimeStop
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which effect to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
Cableguys TimeStop is a dedicated tape-stop plugin that draws slowdowns as DAW automation, with Classic, Modern and Loop modes for transitions and fills.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Kickstart 2 | Cableguys TimeStop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $16 | 16 EUR |
| Dubspot Score | 8.2 | — |
| Formats | VST 2.4, VST 3, AU, AAX | VST3, AU (Mac only), AAX |
| Curves / presets | 16 hand-crafted curves | — |
| Triggering modes | MIDI trigger and audio trigger (Cableguys audio triggering) | — |
| Curve editing | Draggable curve to fit any kick duration | — |
| Mix control | Mix knob to adjust sidechain ducking strength | — |
| Visual feedback | Kick View shows kick and bass waveform display; follows non-4/4 patterns | — |
| Windows | Windows 7, 8, 10, 11 (64-bit) | — |
| macOS | macOS 10.15 or later, Intel or Apple Silicon (Native/Rosetta) | — |
| Type | — | Tape-stop and slowdown effect |
| Modes | — | Classic (pitch and time drop together), Modern (pitch drops, beat stays in time), Loop (tape-stop plus stutter fills) |
| Core control | — | One large, fully automatable Pitch knob; slowdowns drawn as DAW automation, any curve length or shape |
| Works on | — | Any source, including vocals, drums, synths and the master bus |
| Mac formats | — | VST3, AU, AAX (Intel and Apple Silicon) |
| Windows formats | — | VST3, AAX (64-bit) |
| System requirements | — | macOS 10.15 or later; Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11 |
| Trial | — | Fully functional free trial |
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